Sand in Your Eyes
by MidnightAsphyxiation
Summary: Understanding Gaara was like trying to see through a sandstorm. Difficult, but not quite impossible.
1. Arc 1: Selfish

**Selfish.**

Haneko Kari is a selfish four-year old girl who thinks no one knows better. She's just moved from Konoha to Suna temporarily for the setup of her father's new branch for his business. She's new and she's the only one who knows all the rules of 'Ninja' andn she's in charge of the entire game. Of course she's going to be the strongest ninja and she always has to win their mock fights.

Her group is in the middle of a mock fight when she and her friends to at the screams and sound of several trampling pairs of feet. She blinks and Maiko-chan grabs her hand.

'Kari, run! It's the demon! She doesn't know better and all she sees is a spot of red in the between the flecks of sand flying around. Blood she thinks as she shivers and runs. The monster must already be spilling blood. It never occurs to her that the red is not blood but hair.

 _'I want to play with you too. Please play with me. Please don't leave me alone'_

But selfish little Kari has already run away and the pleas are lost in the wind.

* * *

A/N: Story just won't leave my head so voila. Let me known what you think please?


	2. Vaccination

**Vaccination.**

She's hiccupping while her father is sitting next to her in exasperation while he rubs her back, telling her to calm down. Already, she hates Suna because of all the new injections she has to endure because of this _foreign_ place and all it's potentially _foreign_ diseases which Konoha civilians never need to worry about. She hates blood and she hates needles.

'Meh. That stung. I hate needles.'

A brunette boy moaned as he walked out of the room of pain, as Kari had decided to call it. The nurses in there had been brutal. The blonde girl who walked out after the boy, a band-aid on her right arm rolled her eyes.

'Kankuro, if you're going to be a shinobi you're going to have to have to learn to deal with pain worse than that. That's not even nearly as bad as being hit by senbons. Or kunais or shurikens.'

'Tch. Why isn't Gaara here too? It's not fair that he gets special treatment.'

'You know Gaara's different. He doesn't get sick so he doesn't need any vaccinations. Besides, it's not like the sand would let any needle through anyway.'

The two walk past the hiccupping Kari and her father and she snuggles into her father's side. Whoever Gaara is, she thinks that he's pretty lucky that he doesn't need any injections.

'Tou-san. I'm never going to become a shinobi.'

In fact, she voices that she's never going to play ninja ever again either. Her father rolls his eyes at her.

'I don't think I was ever expecting you to become one.'

Her father hugs her slightly tighter and grins down at her.

'Besides, your mother has high hopes of raising you as a lady.'


	3. Of The North Wind and The Sun

**Of The North Wind and the Sun.**

Kari was sitting in the library, reading through a book voraciously when the whispers and the movements began. She flipped the page to one of her books and ignored the white noise around her, certain that it would calm down soon. Currently, she was trying to finish every book in this children's section of the library by the end of this week.

It's only once Kari has finished her book that she's realised the entire children's section of the library is empty, save for her and the redhead boy who was currently staring at the books on the child-sized bookshelf. She shrugged at her unusual luck of having the entire room almost to herself as she enjoyed the silence and not having to listen to bawling babies as she usually had to.

She placed the book back onto the shelf and picked another book to red. From the corner of her eye, she watched as the boy who seemed her age slumped. From her spot on the chair she was sitting in, she spoke up.

'Ne… are you having trouble deciding what book to read?'

The red-head boy turned in surprise after she spoke and she blinked. The boy's eyes were wide, displaying bright a teal colour she'd never seen anyone else with. She enviously thought of how he has such beautiful coloured eyes when hers were only plain brown. All the prettiest girls in her class had exotic coloured eyes. She remembers Yamanaka Ino's sky blue eyes…. Haruno Sakura's emerald green eyes and Hyuuga Hinata's lilac eyes. This boy definitely had beautiful eyes.

'There's a lot of books to choose from, right?'

The boy only stared at her still and she sighed, wondering why she was wasting her own precious reading time

'Can you read?'

He nodded mutely and she shrugged.

'How well?'

The boy remained silent and she sighed in exasperation, turning to the shelf to decide if there were any books she could recommend.

'Ah. I finished this yesterday and really liked it. Maybe you'll like it. It's called the North Wind and the Sun. It's not too hard to read.'

The boy wordlessly accepted the book and she turned to go sit back on her seat.

'Thank you.'

His voice is soft. It's an indoors library voice and for that she's grateful.

'It's ok. I hope you like it.'

The library is silent and Kari is too enthralled in her book to notice when a sandy-coloured haired man walked in to lead the child away. Sitting on the large seat, she simply leaned against the arm rest as she continued reading. She was rudely jolted out of the literary world at the sound of her mother's voice.

'Kari! Oh! Kari! You're still here, oh Kami-sama!'

She blinked up at her mother's loud voice and gave her mother a frown.

'We're in a library. You have to whisper.'

'Oh Kari, you're ok! You're not hurt?'

She frowned at her mother, not understanding but shook her head to convince her mother that she was fine. After all, would could happen in a _library?_

Her mother's eyes flickered in surprise before she placed a hand on Kari's head.

'I thought that – Well I heard that the monster was in this room. Mou, Kari, didn't you notice everyone else leaving the room? I'm glad you're ok though. Come Kari, it's time to go home now.'

Kari still didn't completely understand the danger and there certainly hadn't been a monster in this room. After all she'd have known! Monsters were loud, ugly big creatures who made far too much noise. She rolled her eyes as she jumped out of the seat, giving her mother the books she wanted to borrow.

* * *

A/N:

Have slightly reworked this story and tweaked parts of it. Starting from next chapter, it might get a little confusing but hopefully the restructuring works.


	4. Cookies

**Cookies.**

Gaara was sitting in the park on the swing, alone as usual when a voice spoke up from behind them.

'Ne…. those smell amazing! I could smell them all the way from over there!'

He turned, startled and recognised her. She was the first person beside Yashamaru to treat him like a human being, to look him in the eye without fear or malice.

She sat down next to him, closer than anyone has been to him other than Yashamaru. The dark-haired girl motioned to the cookie in his hand.

'Where did you buy them from?'

'Ya-Yashamaru made them for me.'

She blinked.

'Yashamaru? Who's that?'

'My… my uncle.'

She pouted as she swung her legs back and forth and Gaara couldn't help but notice how…vibrant and open she was. How unfearful she was of him.

'Awww…. I wish I had an uncle who made me cookies. Well you're really lucky! I hope you thanked your uncle!'

She grabbed her book bag off the bench and turned to leave when he called out for her to wait. She turned around, wide brown eyes opened wide in curiosity. Slowly, he broke the cookie in half and offered her a piece.

'If you want…'

No one had ever offered him anything before she had at the library that day. And he'd never offered anyone anything before either. With a large smile, she reached out.

'Really? You're too nice! Thank you! Oh wow! They're delicious! They taste as good as they smell!'

A feeling bubbled in his chest as she continued to chew.

'You know, you're ok for a boy.'

He blinked at her comment and she turned, eyes wide at the sunset.

'Mou, I have to go home! Kaa-san is going to kill me if I get home too late! It was nice meeting you!

She ran off with a wave and Gaara watched her go. Did that make her his friend now? He blinked. He'd forgotten to ask for her name.

Maybe, he'd find her at the library again. Maybe, Yashamaru could make him more cookies to share as well.


	5. Undeserved Rewards

**Undeserved Rewards.**

'Tadaima!'

'Ahh, Kari, you're late!'

'Hehe, sorry, practice ran late!'

Kari lied as she placed her sheet music onto her piano at home before going upstairs to change.

Kaa-san wouldn't be happy to know that she'd had sweets before dinner. She should've known that her mother would've figured it out later on anyway.

'Mou Kari… did Suzuki-sensei give you sweets after class today?'

'Iie…. I'm I'm just full, kaa-san.'

Her mother stared at her with a frown, having caught the deception already.

'Just this once. You must've played well for Suzuki-sense to reward you with sweets.'

Guiltily, Kari looked down. Her mother mistook it as a sign of modesty and smiled softly.

'Alright, you can go then. Just this once'

She gets off the chair and feels guilt fill her. To make it up, she makes sure she practices twice as long on the piano that night so that she will be worthy of the reward. Her mother is amazed and Kari is satisfied. She wonders briefly if she could find that boy again and ask for some more cookies.

She stopped her practice mid-way through in surprise and realisation.

'Ah… I don't know his name…'


	6. Bribes and Introductions

**Bribes and Introductions.**

Gaara finds her at the library again, her eyes scanning the page of another book.

Once again, mothers ushered their children out of the room, glaring at him fearfully or hatefully. Once again, only that dark-haired girl remained, reading. He brushed his fingers cautiously against her shoulder and she looked up, startled and with her eyebrows furrowed slightly in annoyance, which caused Gaara's small smile to falter.

'I'm reading. What is it?'

'Ahhh…' Gaara stood there and slowly brought the brown paper bag up for her to see. The girl blinked and then sniffed the air, her eyes widening.

'Ahhhh! You have more cookies!

He grinned slightly and nodded.

'What's your name?'

The girl blinked her wide brown eyes as she smiled and raised her hand out.

'I'm Haneko Kari.'

He blinked at the hand and Kari frowned slightly. 'Aren't you going to tell me your name?'

'I'm Gaara. Sabaku no Gaara.'

He held a slightly breath to see if she would run away from him. If she would recognise the name, but she simply tilted her head, her hand still outreached and he glanced at it warily. Perhaps she wanted the cookies? He took one out and placed it in her outreached hand and she blinked, perhaps even more surprised.

'Ummm… thank you but… you're… you're supposed to shake my hand.'

She stated as she took the cookie anyway, blinking and looking around before she bit into it and Gaara stared at her.

'Why?'

Kari kept chewing, as she shrugged her shoulders.

'Because… because you're meant to? It means you're friends. I think. All the adults do. Oh'

She grinned as Gaara stretched out his left hand and shook her head. For a split second, he thought that she was refusing him. He had missed his chance…

'Silly, it has to be your right hand.'

Gaara blinked and he stared at their joined hands as she giggled.

'Now, how about I find you another book to read? As your friend, I have to make sure that you enjoy your books. How did you find the last book? It was a fable by Aesopp you know…'

Gaara stared at her as she turned back with a grin and nodded when she asked if he'd liked the last book she'd given him.

'Ne, Gaara? Can I have another cookie?'


	7. Banishing the Monster

**Banishing the Monsters.**

'Ne..kaa-san… can I go over to a friend's place tomorrow?'

'A friend's place?'

'Yeah! We're going to bake! His uncle makes the best cookies in the world!'

'Well, alright what's your friend's name? I'll have to call their parents to see if they're ok with this.'

Kari smiles brightly.

'You haven't met him yet but he's really nice. His name's Gaara-kun. And I have his home number, here! He says he lives near the main offices-'

'Gaara? Did you say Gaara?'

Kari nodded, enthusiastically as she ran to retrieve Gaara's phone number from her book bag.

'Yeah!'

Her mother's face seemed to pale at the name though as she placed a firm hand on Kari's shoulder.

'Sabaku no Gaara? Where on earth did you meet him?'

'In the library, ne, can I? Can I?'

'Absolutely not!'

Kari jumped back at her mother's loud and forceful voice while Haneko Mai knelt down on the ground, holding onto both of Kari's hands and looked into her eyes insistently.

'Kari, you can't ever ever tell your father about this, Do you understand? He will be really angry.'

'Why?'

She asked confused.

'Kari… Sabuku no Gaara is dangerous… he's a _monster_. You cannot be friends with him do you understand? You can no longer meet him and never, never talk again.'

Kari blinked and frowned as her mother shook her again, demanding an answer and Kari knew there's no use fighting against her mother when her mother began to use _that tone_. So she nodded. When her mother ripped the phone number to shreds she's grateful that Gaara had such an easy number to remember.

'And you won't be going to that library anymore.'

Kari blinked at this and then yelled, stamping her feet on the ground. It wasn't fair. She loved the library... Her mother couldn't just _ban_ her from going. Where else was she going to find so many books to read? But her mother firmly sends her to bed, unrelenting.


	8. Late Calls and Secret Messages

**Late Calls and Messages.**

It's far later than Kari said she would call him and Gaara squeezed his teddy bear close, biting his lip and determined not to cry.

Yashamaru had gone to bed a few hours ago with a soft look and a pat on the head and Gaara sat on the sofa, alone and very tempted to rip up the book that Kari had told him to borrow. _She'd lied._

Gaara turned to the phone in shock as it rang. It was very dark outside. He eyed the phone warily, wondering if he should or shouldn't pick up but eventually did.

'Hello?'

'Ne, Gaara-kun?'

The voice on the other side whispered and his heart jumped slightly. It _had_ to be her. No one else called her Gaara-kun. Even Yashamaru referred to him as 'Gaara-sama.'

'Kari-chan?'

'Ne, I'm so sorry that it's late, but kaa-san wouldn't let me call. I'm so glad that you're still awake! Luckily, I managed to remember your phone number!'

Gaara feels slightly cold when she tells him that her mother doesn't want to her to play with him and then Kari kept speaking and he blinked.

'Spies?'

'Yeah, so we're just going to have to be spies and pretend so my kaa-san doesn't find out. Ok? I'll leave you messages where we met in the park beneath the bench! And you can leave me a message there too, ok?'

He agreed and then almost laughed at her next question.

'Ne… Gaara…. Can you leave me a cookie there?'

He promised he'd try.

* * *

They begin leaving each other hidden messages and then began to create their own codes. It really did begin to feel like they were spies, relaying secrets and truths in a world filled with lies and smoke. He thinks, as he leaves his third message for Kari underneath the bench. If this is what shinobi and ninjas do, he might not mind being one.

Maybe, he'd make more friends once he became a shinobi.


	9. Of Hugs and Protection

**Of Hugs and Protection.**

Kari glanced around the room in wonder, her book bag lying on the ground, all but forgotten. She'd lied and told her mother that she was going over to Maiko-chan's to practice the piano together.

Gaara's uncle, a gentle man with hair lighter than the colour of Sunagakure sand stood up and smiled. Gaara had told her that Yashamaru had promised he wouldn't contact her parents and let her know. Yashamaru was apparently a shinobi and understood the necessity of secrets.

'Kari-chan, it's your turn to go wash your hands. And then we can make cookies.'

She grinned as she nodded and stood up, brushing past Gaara, who'd just come out.

'Ne, I hope you washed your hands properly!'

* * *

Gaara glanced into the oven curiously as they waited. He'd watched Yashamaru make the cookies dozens of times and knew already that they'd have to wait. He'd just never had a friend to waith with.

Kari jumped up happily.

'Oh, I'm so excited!'

She turned to Gaara, her arms out open and he blinked. Yashamaru gasped as he called out

'No, Kari-chan –'

In an instant, she flew across the floor. Yashamaru slipped over the bench and managed to stop her from slamming into the cupboard doors before he helped her get up gently.

'Kari-chan, you need to be careful. The sand…automatically protects Gaara-sama.'

Kari looked up at Yashamaru, confused before she turns to Gaara, eyes small and her lips trembled.

 **'** But… I wasn't trying to hurt him... I only wanted to give you a hug.'

'I'm sorry.'

He murmured softly and looked down at his hands. He'd completely ruined their friendship now.

'Can I… can I hug you now?'

His head jerked up and he watched as she stepped forward. Slowly, this time, and she slipped through his sand barrier. He felt warm as her arms wrapped around him.

* * *

The next time she's thrown back after surprising him, he catches her with his sand. She looked up, a smile on her face as she leapt up and wrapped her arms around his neck.


	10. Piano String Cuts and Ivory Bones

**Piano String Cuts and Ivory Bones.**

Kari is fiercely proud of her piano skills and she constantly either wrote about the new pieces she was learning, or bragged to Gaara of her 'amazing, superior skills' and her dream to become a concert pianost – because she hated needles and wasn't going to be a ninja, but Gaara could become a ninja and then later on, according to her, her body guard.

Naturally, Gaara was curious. They couldn't go to Kari's house for obvious reasons and Yashamaru didn't have a piano at his home. So he snuck the two of them into the Kazekage Compound. The Kazekage was his father, after all.

His older brother, who opened the door for the two of them, stepped back in surprise.

'Gaara?'

He walked past Kankuro without a word, his teddy bear in one hand and Kari's hand in the other.

He heard Kari offer a hello and that they were going to be borrowing the piano. He turned into the living room just as Temari walked out of the kitchen, seemingly curious.

He sat down next to her as she flexed her wrists and turned to him with a smile.

'Well, you're in for a treat. Prepare yourself!'

He listened to the soft, slow song. It did indeed, have a very nice melody, almost like a lullaby… he leaned slightly towards Kari, his eyes drifting at the sweet melody.

* * *

Kari felt Gaara's head lean on her shoulder and she turned to look, curiously. She giggled at Gaara's peaceful look, with his eyes closed. He looked cute. She turned her head back to the piano, she'd play just a little bit longer. It was such a nice piano –

She gasped as she was blown off the seat by a huge gust and cried out wjen her back hit one of the side tables. There's a clash of something as she felt sharp shards of glass fall over her and she squeezed her eyes shut. She cringed and opened her hands when she felt a shard of glass embed itself into her palm.

Slowly, Kari opened her eyes and gingerly felt around the floor, struggling to get up. She gasped again as a something whipped her across her back and she fell onto the ground again. Looking up, she caught sight of streams of sand and was confused. Sometimes, Gaara's sand would still push her back, but it was usually only if she'd surprised him. And lately, he'd been able to control his sand better and he would usually break or cushion most of her falls.

Her shoulders tensed as she felt a stream of sand slash against her cheeks and she cringed at the stinging sensation and felt something wet start to fall down her cheeks. Sand was flying around in the room with a speed and violence she'd never seen before and she shivered. It hurt. Her entire body hurt.

'Gaara-kun!'

She called out, hoping to gain his attention. She doubted Gaara's father would be happy coming back to his house to see the room so overturned. Gaara… she blinked as she realised that Gaara looked like he was still asleep, although he seemed to be mumbling something in his sleep.

She turned at the footsteps and saw the two older children from before at the entrance of the room. She winced as she felt sand crawl around her body, pulling her slowly into the sand. She reached her hand out to the two as she choked out and whimpered.

'Please.'

The sand was whipping the air around her now and she cried out as two streams of sand lashed against her cheeks, cutting her.

'Shit, we have to call oyaji.'

She heard as she stretched out a hand before one of the sand whips wrapped around her wrist. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth. She wondered if that piercing scream had come from her? Her hand hurt. Her wrist hurt. Her arm hurt as it fell onto the soft sand beneath her. Her arm felt as if a thousand piano strings had sliced into it. No wonder sensei had always threatened her with this punishment if she didn't practice. It _hurt._

'Gaara-kun!'

She cried and cried again, burying her face in what she assumed was is sand. Her last vision of Gaara is that there is half of very big, very scary looking brown racoon-like creature growing from half of Gaara's body and she cried before she passed out in merciful oblivion, her mother's words softly ringing in her ears..

 _Monster..._


	11. Monsters and Demons

**Monsters and Demons.**

His eyes blinked as they opened, and he wished he could crawl into a ball and disappear at the thunderous look on his father's face, his arms crossed across his body. Glancing around, he frowned at the feeling of sand beneath his fingers. Sand and gold dust.

'She's still alive.'

He turned, feeling slightly safer knowing that Yashamaru was in the room. He turned as Yashamaru turned around, arms carrying someone. His stomach lurched at the sight. Only the dark black hair was recognisable.

'Kari?'

His eyes were wide, he looked at the body in Yashamaru's hands. Her leg was bent at a strange angle and red blood was tricking from the cuts across her her skin and shards of glass seemed to gleam from places where glass _shouldn't_ have been and her _wrist…_ His stomach lurched at the sight of what looked like bone fragments puncturing through Kari's wrist.

He couldn't have done that, could he? He couldn't have _hurt_ Kari.

He wants to follow Yashamaru when an arm is placed on his shoulder. His father's cold eyes glaring at him.

'Haven't you done enough, Gaara?'

* * *

Haneko Kozen paced back and forth across the room, beyond furious as he waited in the waiting room. He was angry at his hysterical wife, who knew that Kari had met the monster. He was furious at the monster for having hurt his daughter and he was beyond reason at the thought of such a dangerous thing being allowed to roam around the village freely. _It was negligence_. He was going to talk to his lawyers about this.

Kozen's stomach lurched at the memory of Kari's wrist, bone fragments sticking out in all different directions. They weren't even sure if they could save her wrist or hand with the damage that had occurred.

He was going to pull out of this city. This venture had been stupid and if his daughter was so badly injured… he'd pull out, Suna's economy be damned he didn't care. They were the ones who'd wanted him to come in to stimulate their economy.

'Haneko-sama.'

He turned at the voice and his eyes were met with a young blonde man with a small apologetic look on his face. He stared blankly, he looked different. His chest tensed at the look. God, they hadn't been able to save her hand… maybe she hadn't even made it, what if-.

'Are you Kari's doctor?'

'No… I am on standby… I am currently here to just… offer my apologies.'

He stared blankly, unable to understand before he caught sight of the red hair from behind, around the corner of the room.

'You… are you… you're that thing's caretaker, aren't you?'

He hissed as he grabbed the front of the man's shirt. Kozen turned to the red head boy as he roars, monster be damned.

'You keep away from my daughter you monster, don't you dare come near her ever again! Do you hear me! Why don't you just die, you heartless demon!'

The demon's eerie teal eyes widened and the man infront of him somehow managed to escape his grasp as he hurriedly moved the red-haired monster away from the scene. Kozen turned and punched the wall. He didn't feel any better.

* * *

He's frightened, as he stood around the corner in the hospital. It was his fault that she'd been hurt. He shouldn't have closed his eyes, he shouldn't have fallen asleep.

Kari's father's eyes landed on him and he shivered from the hate and anger in his eyes. He cringed and his fingers dug into the wall when Kari's father began his tirade, while Yashamaru held Kari's father back.

'You heartless demon! Stay away from my daughter!'

Something in his stomach drops at the words.

* * *

Kari's eyes fluttered open as she moaned. White curtains fluttered in the breeze as her vision spiralled.

'Kari?'

'Tou-chan'

She whimpered as she moved, trying to identify where her father was.

'Kari, don't move, it'll be ok. Hold on I'm going to get the nurse.

Kari barely comprehended her surroundings before she slipped back to sleep. But not before noting the teddy bear by the side of her bed.

'Gaara-kun.'

She didn't see the way her father stiffened.


	12. Ointments that can't heal the Monster

**Ointments that can't heal the Monster.**

Kozen took time off work, postponed his meeting with the Kazekage to talk about the office that he had half-opened in Suna and supervised Kari everywhere. He'd had his secretary send a message requesting – _demanding_ \- that the Kazekage's demonchild was to stay away from Kari.

He trashed the bag of healing supplies the demonchild's carer had given him as soon as he closed the door and went up to Kari, her right arm still in a cast. Kari sat in bed as she looked up with a smile. He'd gotten her a special tray table so that she could read and turn the pages with her left hand instead of her right.

'Tou-chan, I really want to go out for a walk… I've been in here for days!'

Kari pouted and he shook his head at her. 'You should start on the homework Maiko-chan left for you or you'll fall behind.'

'Ne, I've already done the foreign languages section.'

Kari said offhandedly and Kozen paused. _There had been a lot of foreign languages sections._ He watched as his daughter listlessly stared outside, not even paying attention to the book she'd been reading.

Sighing, he walked towards the corner of her closet and she looked at him. Her grin as he unfolded her wheelchair told Kozen he was making the right decision. Probably.

* * *

Kari's father is with her everywhere and Kari no longer left him secret notes at their secret place. Gaara's shoulders slumped at the realisation that he had lost his only friend, and nothing Yashamaru says helped. The kids in the playground had run away from him again today. He grabbed a pointy blade, trying to cut himself. It didn't work, as he watched as the sand reacted to the knife as Yashamaru walked into the room.

* * *

After two weeks without a single word from Kari, Gaara cried on the rooftop for the entire night.

* * *

Kozen walks his daughter to school everyday, giving no chance for her to interact with the demon-child. He walks her to and from her flower arrangement classes and the library. She'd been upset, he realised as she sat infront of her piano, left hand on the keys while her right arm and wrist were still in a cast.

He clenches his fist. He won't forgive that monster. Ever.

* * *

One night, after a day of flower arrangement classes where Kari is stubbornly on trying to walk on her own, wanting to be able to join in on the dance classes soon when walking down a street going home, Kari stops and turns at something.

'It must've hurt right? Here's some ointment. If you want to use it –'

'Go home, monster!'

He watched the child's shoulders fall as the door is slammed in his face.

'Gaara-kun.'

He turned down to look at Kari, who'd just whispered, and he puts a warning hand on his daughter's shoulders.

'But tou-chan… Gaara-kun…'

His daughter he thought, is too generous, too kind sometimes.

'Hey, watch where you're going, kid!'

The two turned as a drunk man walks past Gaara. Gaara stared before his eyes seem to change and flash between several different emotions. And then, without warning, sand attacked the man.

He heard gasps along the street and he picked Kari up, leaving

'He's dead!'

They hear yells and Kari turns in his arms, her eyes wide and he grimly takes the two of them home as quickly as he can.

When they arrive home, Kari's arms are clutching his neck and her breathing is shallow when he pulls her arms off. He bends down and to help her take her shoes off.

'Do you see now, Kari? There are some monsters who just cannot be saved.'

It was time for Kari to apply the ointment again.

* * *

A/N:

Did anyone else feel their heart break when that damned kid just slammed the door in Gaara's face like that and then he just stood there with wide, wide eyes?


	13. Evacuation

**Evacuation.**

She stares, wide-eyed as she tugs her father's hand.

'Tou-chan… why are we here?'

Kari's father looks down at her wearily.

'I don't know, Kari, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

She turns as she looks at all the other nervous adults and sleepy children and then the rows of shinobi around them all.

Just what was going on?

A loud bang occurs and she jumps. She tries to peer out the window but can't see anything.

There are loud noises and she clings to her father's sleeve, confused and scared.

Her father's lips are in a straight line.

After several hours, there are whispers and mutterings and Kari stirs in her mother's arms. She hadn't even known that she'd fallen asleep.

'It's the monster isn't it?'

'Gaara's still going on?'

'He's uncontrollable!'

She whimpers softly into her mother's shirt and she feels her mother's hand soothingly down her back.

After several more hours, the civilians are finally all let out and her eyes scanned her surroundings and her eyes widened at the landscape.

 _Impossible…Gaara… Gaara-kun would've never done this!_

'This is why we needed to leave, Kari.'


	14. Displacement

**Displacement.**

The first person he kills is a drunken man who'd looked at him with such hatred and fear that he wonders _why_ everyone can only look at him that way.

He'd tried. He'd tried so hard to make friends. He'd offered ointment to the Takeo, only to have been cut off rudely and then had the door slammed in his face. That drunken man's eyes had been the last straw.

All he wants to do is erase all the hatred and fear that he sees in everyone's eyes.

* * *

Yashamaru betrays him in the worst possible way. Yashamaru had never loved him. Yashamaru had lied. His own mother had never loved him. He'd killed his own mother, of course she wouldn't love him. He was a monster.

In the middle of it all, he thinks of Kari. Kari had lied to him too. Kari never liked him at all. Kari had abandoned him. Kari and Yashamaru were both liars and both traitors.

He throws up the little food he'd eaten that day at the thought. The taste of cookies is bitter on his mouth.

He was all alone in this world. He clutches onto his heart that pangs and pangs inside his chest and allows his conscious to slip into the dark

* * *

When he wakes up the next day, Gaara's silent.

He walks in silence and eats in silence. He listens to Kankuro yell at him in silence and takes all of Temari's looks in silence. He won't ever love again.

* * *

Kari doesn't like it at all, leaving all her friends behind. Her father had decided to leave his executives behind to complete the new branch. They were going back to Konoha.

She cried and she plead but both her parents ignore her and order her to pack her things. She stormed out of the house in a huff until she reached the park where she used to exchange secret notes with Gaara.

She stopped when she saw sand in the air, thin and flicking like a whip and _red_ infront of her. Her eyes widened at the sight of the back of the red hair and she gasped.

Gaara is about to turn around when she spun on her heels and _fleed._

She has no idea who Gaara is anymore and she runs as fast as her legs can carry her.

She'd heard the rumours. She doesn't know if they're true or not. But everyone can't be lying when they say that Gaara had killed Yashamaru. If it was a lie, then everyone wouldn't be saying the same thing.

She collapsed on her front porch and she winced as her hand landed still too harshly against the porch, her right wrist still tingling. She holds her right wrist up gently, as she looked at the odd-shaped white almost star like scars that littered around her right wrist, where her bone had apparently once punctured through her skin.

She'd seen herself, when Gaara attacked – killed – the man outside the restaurant. _She'd_ been attacked. Yashamaru was dead and the entire village was terrified of Gaara. Was the entire village right?

Looking down, she feels her world spin. She thinks maybe she's glad that they're moving away.

* * *

'Kari?'

He whispers as he turned in his seat at the familiar presence. All he sees are wisps of her black hair around the corner already and he sits in the park where they'd started leaving each other secret messages.

And she's gone.

* * *

He watched Kari wave goodbye, her wrist still wrapped up in bandages as she hugged a girl. He watched as she got into the van and leaned out the window, yelling out to the same girl

'Maiko-chan! I promise to write!'

Kari never writes to him.

* * *

A/N:

I kind of had a Konoha arc I wanted to write but it would kind of derail from the main plot... not sure what I should do...


	15. Penpals

**Penpals.**

Kari tries really hard to keep in touch with Maiko-chan, who writes letters to her as often as she can.

Maiko keeps her updated on what is happening in Suna, their friends, what they are learning in class, politics and news and… Gaara.

It's one of her main reasons for keeping in contact with Maiko-chan she thinks guiltily as she continues the correspondence, not that she ever lets her father know that she's still thinking of Gaara.

But what she hears isn't warming.


	16. Midnight Meetings and Blood Red Roses

**Midnight Meetings and Blood Red Roses**

She feels an overwhelming sense of homesickness after two years – after all, she had lived in Suna for quite a while.

There are long fights and arguments and discussions but eventually, her parents allow her to visit her friend turned penpal for a few weeks. Kari is careful to avoid to Kazekage compound and any redheads while in Suna. She sees the hatred the village for Gaara and she hears of Gaara's frightening exploits and she can't help but feel fear.

She remembers Maiko-chan's terrified eyes when she'd walked past a bed of beautiful Suna desert roses in the park.

 _'Kari-chan, come away from there!'_

 _'Mou, Maiko-chan, what's wrong?'_

 _Maiko's lips tensed._

 _'They say the roses are so red… because of all the blood Gaara spilt over them. The blood of the Suna Shinobi.'_

One evening, she's returning to Maiko's home from visiting a family friend when she bumps into someone accidentally. Kari had been busy admiring the purple coloured sunset over the long dunes of sand and hadn't been paying attention. She gets up and picks up the book she'd been gifted from the family friend.

'Mou, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. I hope –'

Her sentence is cut off when her eyes confirm that she has indeed, bumped into Suna's ultimate weapon. Her breath is caught in her throat as she stands there, paralysed. And then.

 _'Gaara-kun.'_

She whispers reflexively and it's possibly the stupidest thing she could do because the words pull Gaara out of thinking – if he had been thinking and his cold teal eyes take her in wordlessly and sand _slivers_ toward her. She notes the word kanji that Gaara now seems to have on the left side of his head and thinks how it is the absolutely most inaccurate word to describe Gaara.

She whimpers as the sand wraps around her ankle and she remembers the pain from over three years ago. _Not again._

She trembles as the sand makes its way up her legs, and the book she was holding drops onto the surrounding sand with a thud. This time, no one would save her.

Gaara's eyes flicker onto the book that fell. _Aesop's Fables_. He stares at her. She doesn't see his lips move, doesn't see him move, as the sand falls back onto the ground,loosing it's shape and Gaara disappears with a warning ringing in the air.

'Next time… I'll kill you.'

She falls to the ground, trembling, as she's left in the dark alleyway.

She takes extra care, the next few weeks in Suna to make sure she doesn't bump into anyone, that she doesn't see Gaara as she blends in with the crowd.

Maiko-chan follows Kairi to Konoha for a few weeks as well to visit and Maiko laughs as she runs through the grass and picks flowers and walks around in short sleeves because she can and she won't get a sunburn.

Somehow though, everything has changed. And she starts feeling less and less homesick after the last visit.


End file.
